17/10/2026
NEWS-FEATURE | JFINEX and JMA host BSBA day to strengthen students’ business skills
by Antonio Luis Bonifacio
To hone the skills of future business leaders, the Junior Financial and Investment Executives of the Philippines (JFINEX) and the Junior Marketing Association (JMA) conducted BSBA Day for students to gain experience, exchange ideas, challenge themselves, and enjoy the learning process of business on October 8, 2026, at Pavilion A, University of Santo Tomas-Legazpi.
With the theme, “Building Tomorrow; Sharpening the Minds of Future Business Leaders,” Jairus Alexis A. Rico, CMMS, encouraged the students in his opening remarks to embrace the journey as business students by gaining experience, exploring new ideas, and challenging themselves while enjoying the process.
The first speaker, Christine V. Yong, CMA, COA, MBA, DBA, an accountant with 20 years of professional experience, discussed the psychology behind consumer refunds and how businesses can use service recovery to maintain customer trust. In her discussion, “The Buyer’s Mind at Checkout,” she introduced different concepts such as perceived risk, loss aversion, signaling theory, and the endowment effect, explaining how uncertainty about refund policies may influence customers’ perceptions.
Yong stated that refunds should not be treated as an absolute loss, but a margin to regain the consumers’ trust. In her talk, she also mentioned the Service Recovery Paradox, highlighting how properly resolving minor service failures can strengthen customer loyalty, improve retention, and build long-term relationships.
Following Yong's discussion was Chriz Luminario, a Digital Marketing Consultant, who shifted the focus toward the digital landscape and the growing importance of online marketing. Luminario discussed how the mobile revolution has changed the way consumers interact with businesses, noting that people's attention is increasingly centered on their mobile devices. She also introduced different forms of digital marketing, such as search engine marketing, email marketing, and content marketing.
Luminario also stated the importance of personal branding. She explained that branding is not about the logo, the name, or the element, but it is about the footprint that you can leave as the business owner.
After the two speaker sessions, an icebreaker was conducted before the lunch break. The afternoon program continued with interactive activities, including a formal debate, a fun game of hephep-hooray, and a humorous debate that allowed students to apply their communication and critical-thinking skills in a more engaging setting.
The program then proceeded to the Making a Business Plan Team Activity, where students presented business concepts and defended their proposed operations before the panel. The first group presented “Chem Gas and Hostel,” a proposed business combining a gasoline station and hostel primarily targeting truck drivers. To promote the business, the group proposed using billboards and radio advertisements and estimated an initial capital requirement of ₱30 million.
During the presentation, Rico, the adviser of JFINEX, questioned the group’s financial projections and organizational structure, particularly whether the proposed capital could sufficiently cover the investment and future expenses of the business. He also challenged the group’s organizational structure because of its small number of people or employees. The presentation ended with feedback from Rico, treating the gasoline station and hostel as separate operational components in terms of manpower, facilities, and management, despite being part of a single business.
The second group introduced their business proposal called “Study Rush,” a proposed student-oriented service that would provide printing, photocopying, school item rentals, document delivery, and other academic needs. Targeting the students as its primary target market and proposed promoting the business through Facebook, Instagram, and student group chats. Its proposed organizational structure included a general manager, operations manager, financial manager, marketing manager, and customer service or delivery staff.
After the presentation, Rico once again asked a question to the group, whether their projected income would be sufficient enough to sustain the proposed salaries and wages, encouraging the group to assess the business's long-term financial sustainability. The presentation challenged students to carefully evaluate the feasibility, capital requirements, manpower, marketing strategies, and profitability of their proposed ventures.
The event ended with the closing remarks of Lara B. Depaz, Internal Vice President of JFINEX, and Mia Peñarubia, Executive Vice President of JMA. Through the collaboration of JFINEX and JMA, BSBA Day connected classroom concepts with practical business situations, emphasizing collaboration, critical thinking, adaptability, and decision-making as students prepare for careers in the business field.
Photos by Grizzlyn Arce
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